Univ. of Kansas librarian named dean of libraries
Richard W. Clement has been appointed as the new dean of libraries for the Merrill-Cazier Library.
Clement is currently the head of the department of special collections at the Kenneth Spencer Research Library at the University of Kansas. Clement will begin his position at USU on July 1, 2008.
“The dean of libraries will be in charge of library services at both Logan and regional campuses as well as billing and collections and supervision of the library staff,” Provost Ray Coward said. He said Clement was chosen from candidates all over the United States.
Clement said he plans to make the Merrill-Cazier Library more technologically advanced.
“We need to move forward into the digital age,” he said. “That is the future of America’s libraries.”
Concerning USU’s distance education campuses, Clement said he plans to try to improve satellite technology.
Clement also said despite the need he feels for implementing technology, he “is still an advocate of the book.”
“I worked with special collections and historical documents,” he said. “I recognize that there is a need to preserve these things. You’d rather hold ‘Harry Potter’ in your hand than have to read it online.”
Clement said he is not sure how he will do either of these yet.
“I don’t know the specifics of what I’m going to do,” he said. “I don’t have specific plans, but I am excited to be in this position and I will be making several trips to Logan over the next few months.
“I heard you guys have great a great ski resort near Logan, and I’ll enjoy working with someone with such vision as Stan Albrecht and also Raymond Coward.”
Clement has a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in English from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. He also earned a master’s degree in library science from the University of Chicago.
He was a Fulbright Educational Partnership Fellow in Peru in 2004 and received the Gretchen and Gene A. Budig Distinguished Librarian Award from the University of Kansas in 2003. Clement has been with the University of Kansas from 1987 through the present. He was an English professor there before being named head of special collections.
-marilyn.shelton@aggiemail.usu.edu